PAY

As you know Enable have stated they are unable to offer any pay increase for 2010/11 and there is no sign of any offer coming for 2011/12. However they have committed to entering in to talks with us over the possibility of Enable adopting the Scottish Living Wage of £7.20 per hour as a minimum rate. As I write we are still seeking confirmation from Enable of a date to meet.

Whilst we haven’t had substantive discussions yet the adoption of the SLW would be a major step forward. More info on the SLW can be found at this website: http://povertyalliance.org/slw-home.asp .

ARGYLL & BUTE PAY CUTS

We have belatedly been advised that some staff who earn more than £8.50 per hour in Argyll & Bute are being called in to meetings to ‘discuss’ having their hourly rate cut to £8.50 per hour.

We have immediately sought clarification on management’s proposals. If you are affected by this please get in touch with UNISON. In the interim if you are called in to a meeting ask to postpone it and for them to liaise with UNISON over scheduling a new date when you can be represented.

If you do go to a meeting we strongly advise you at this stage not to voluntarily sign up to a new contract based on a lower hourly rate. If you voluntarily sign there is little we can then do to help you. In short don’t sign there and then, take advice from UNISON.

ENABLE CUMBERNAULD STAFF

Former Enable Cumbernauld staff that remain on an EC contract were issued with a memo on 18^th August from Stephen Chalmers, Depute Manager of Operations & Development. The memo says that Enable are cutting the rate paid for overtime from being the same as the hourly contracted rate to £6.87 for all hours worked over 37.5 hours and £7.60 for hours worked up to 37.5 hours.

This memo was issued without any consultation with UNISON. We have written to complain about this and to say that we do not accept this unilateral change. We have requested a meeting to discuss it. Our advice to members affected is do not voluntarily accept a change to your contract. If you are affected please get in touch with UNISON.

Learning Disability Alliance Scotland Newsletter July 2011

We have provided a link to Learning Disability Scotland's newsletter below.

There are two main articles in this edition.

First looks at how the dominant position of local authorities in funding of social care for people with learning disabilities might affect the development of Self Directed Support. A fuller version of this article is available at http://tinyurl.com/SDS2011

Our second article looks at the increasing charges applied for social care services and wonders if this is a new form of "tax" on the most vulnerable.

Mobilise: A week-long Festival of Campaigning skills happening in Edinburgh from 13-20 August 2011

UNISON Scotland's brings you MOBILISE at the Edinburgh festival.


What is Mobilise?

It does exactly what it says on the tin - brings people together and prepares for action. The art of creative campaigning.

We don’t teach protest theory - our workshops are preparation for action. Leaflets are designed, printed and distributed. Blogs are written “live‟ and uploaded. Films are shot, edited and broadcast. Skills learnt - jobs done. MOBILISE is a unique chance to work with artists and performers and develop your creative campaign skills.

For information and booking http://www.mobilisefestival.co.uk/

UNISON calls on Glasgow City Council to halt attacks on people with learning disabilities

UNISON, Scotland’s largest union in public services, has joined together with communities across Glasgow to fight against service cuts.


Trade unionists and members of the public packed out a meeting last week to share concerns over personalisation and fears that Glasgow City Council is using this process simply as a means to save money.

Glasgow City Council started its personalisation agenda last summer. While UNISON supports the principles of personalisation, which are about providing people with more independence, control and dignity, this is not what is happening in Glasgow. The council has always been explicit in its ambition to realise 20 per cent savings as a result of the process.

Mandy McDowall, regional organiser for UNISON, said: “We’re not against the concept of personalisation, but direct payments should be used to complement a range of public services and should not be used as a disguise for cutting services.

“We held this meeting to bring together those who are being directly affected by these cuts. The meeting was packed with staff, users and members of the community who all wanted to share their experiences. We heard from carers who are having their packages cut by 50 per cent; staff who are having their terms and conditions slashed and communities who are suffering facility closures.

“Each person had a different story to tell and the true human cost of each and every cut was laid bare.”

Parents, carers, service users, campaign groups, academics and disability groups were all in attendance at Thursday’s meeting. UNISON says the meeting will be the first of many and is calling on Glasgow City Council to put a halt to service cuts.

Simon Macfarlane, regional organiser for UNISON, added: “Glasgow City Council has not properly assessed the impact of these cuts and is rolling ahead with scant regard to the devastating consequences.

“We’re calling on the council to call a halt to this process and to reinstate the packages that service users had before the new personalisation agenda was agreed, until a thorough review of the process and the impact on people with learning disabilities is assessed. This assessment must involve service users, their families and front line workers and their unions.”

Personalisation Networking Meeting

Arising out of the current crisis in learning disability services in Glasgow brought about by a bastardised version of personalisation UNISON and Defend Glasgow Services have called a meeting for those affected by the issues. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss what is happening and how workers, service users, carers, families and activists can work together. Whilst focussed on the current experiences in Glasgow the meeting may well be of interest to those from other areas facing similar issues.


The meeting is not a rally, rather a chance to share news, tactics and information. If you have an interest in personalisation please consider joining us on:

7th July 2011

10 am

UNISON House

14 West Campbell St

Glasgow

G2 6RX